Month: October 2022

Could Slingo Games Bring About Other Hybrid Offerings in iGaming?

Slingo is a concept that was introduced back in 1994 by a New Jersey real estate developer. The prescient game designer was way ahead of his time, as he came up with the concept of combining slots and bingo before either game had boomed online.

Now, thanks to the rise of the online bingo industry, Slingo has become one of the most popular categories in the iGaming sector. The popularity of these games could lead to more hybrid offerings at online casinos in the future.

What is Slingo?

Slingo is a portmanteau of slots and bingo, and the game combines elements of both. These titles shot to worldwide notoriety alongside the online bingo industry, as developers saw them as a great way to introduce casino players to bingo. Take, for example, the amount of Slingo games for real money at Paddy’s, including Slingo Super Spin, Slingo Lightning, and Slingo Starburst. The fact that there are so many different themes available shows how popular these titles have become.

Slingo games appeal to slot players because of the facets that they share with the reel spinners, but they also attract bingo fans because of the numbers involved. They can help slots players discover online bingo, and bingo players to venture into playing online slots. It’s clear that these games have had a great effect on the bingo industry because the ball draw is now attracting a much broader range of people than it did in the days before the Internet.

What Other Games Could Become Crossovers?

Thanks to the success of Slingo, it was only a matter of time before developers would attempt to create other offerings that cross over between genres. This is already being seen in some other areas of the iGaming industry. For instance, slots have always used themes to entice players, with ancient Greece being one of the most common subject matters. Culture Trip discusses how the Greeks changed the world, and modern generations still appreciate that.

The ancient Greece-themed Age of the Gods is one of the most loved slots series, and it has now branched out into roulette and bingo as well. This highlights how the top franchises in the iGaming industry could soon spread across a range of games, with elements of each game category being added to others. 

Hybrid Games That Combine with Technology Could be the Future

Aside from making hybrid games that mix different online casino offerings, developers are working hard to combine their titles with upcoming technology. This could come in the shape of games that cross over between online and live elements.

Augmented reality will be the next big thing according to Hongkiat, and it could end up being a revelation for bingo. It could give players the feeling that they are sitting in a bingo hall, when in fact they are still playing the online version in the comfort of their homes.

Thanks to the unprecedented success of Slingo, there could be many more hybrids and genre crossovers on the way in the future. Who knows, soon elements of roulette and blackjack could end up being combined with bingo as the lines between these different iGaming categories become more blurred.

Tech Review – Andobil MagSafe Tripod – MagStick

There is tripods and there is tripods but this one has MagSafe built in for iPhone users however all devices can be used with this product and it makes life simple for creators or for those who like to take selfies, being adjustable to make height choice better than most options we have tried this is versatile and can be used at almost any angle with a 360 degree face rotation and 180 degree neck rotation.

Height is one place where this tripod stands out for me and with holding a heavy iPhone it does not budge either or wobble like some others can, the built quality is great and you get a remote shutter that you can take out and use or leave in the socket on the leg so it can be used again basically anywhere and setting it up is like pairing any bluetooth device and once connected you can take photos or videos on the go, selfie lovers will like this too due to the telescopic extension which is longer than most we have tried and will allow you get that super wide shot easily using your wide angle lens on your camera, think huge crowds here.

You even have an extension for a mic or light on the side to making this a perfect piece of kit for those who want things kept simple and overall a robust product that is portable and can be placed in your travel bag. See the video below for more.

Features

[The perfect shoot assistant for iPhone] The world’s first compatible MagSafe tripod, magnetic adsorption,one-handed operation, you can start your photography journey by easily placing the phone

[Super flexible and multi-angle] Easily pull from 12.3 inches to 63.5 inches, from 180° neck rotation to 360°face rotation, MagStick can adjust the angle at will, giving you and the beauty more possibilities!

[Full function expansion] Suitable for 99% of phones and cameras, can be installed with microphones and fill lights, from travel shooting to live video, allowing you to do anything!

[Super bluetooth remote control] Effective range of 50 feet, easy to install and disassemble at any time,not easy to lose, long standby, giving you the greatest freedom of photography.

[Extremely Portable] Only 12.5 feet, easily fit into a travel bag, waiting to explore the beauty of the world with you.

[Sturdy] Made of aviation-grade aluminium alloy and high-toughness PC material, the magnetic attraction and the mechanical arm are double-fixed, giving you enough security.

BUY

Video review

First look – FUJIFILM INSTAX SQUARE Link Smartphone printer

It is coming up to the holiday season and what a great time to take photos and have the right tools to do so, not only that you can have a copy, remember we used to always get our photos printed all them years ago well now you can those special memories there and then with the latest from FUJIFILM and the Instax square link smartphone printer.

And we have one here to check out so you can see what to expect and with a full hands on review soon stay tuned for what is on offer and be sure to check out their last smartphone printer we reviewed the Instax mini Link 2 which we still use today and will give you some idea of what is to come.

Any questions feel free to drop them below and we will as always answer all and have a detailed review soon.

See more about the latest smartphone printer HERE

Unboxing

Go-Ahead Ireland and Lime Partner in Driver Safety Campaign

Lime, the world’s largest shared e-bike and e-scooter provider, has announced a safety partnership with Go-Ahead Ireland (GAI). The partnership will see the two companies working together to increase awareness e-bike and e-scooter riders for Go-Ahead Ireland’s bus drivers, helping them to better navigate sharing the road ahead of the passing of e-scooter legislation next year.

Bus drivers in Go-Ahead’s Ballymount and Naas depots will be provided with practical guidance in the form of a safety manual which will provide tips and methods for drivers to safely share Irish roads safely with e-scooter riders and cyclists. The manual will include background information on e-scooters and e-bikes as new modes of green transport, as well as reminders for bus drivers on blind spots, particularly on roads where there is not dedicated cycling infrastructure.

In order for GAI bus drivers to put the programme into practice, Lime will provide e-scooters and e-bikes to the company. The vehicles will help the drivers to understand first-hand what it is like to ride an e-scooter and/or e-bike alongside buses, and how to interact on roads safely.

GAI provides all of its drivers with professional training before they begin driving on the network. This includes theory testing and NCT qualifications, and all drivers also must have Certificates of Professional Competence (CPC) cards issued by the Road Safety Authority. Drivers also receive training on the specific routes they will be driving on before entering service.

Nicole Quadrelli, Risk Manager for Go-Ahead Ireland said: “More and more people are travelling by e-bike and e-scooter, and with some bus routes do not yet have dedicated cycle lane infrastructure. It’s really important to us in GAI that we make sure all our drivers are safely and respectfully sharing the road with cyclists and e-scooter users alike. We are delighted to be partnered with Lime in anticipation of the roll out of its e-scooter sharing services in Ireland next year”.

Hal Stevenson, Lime Senior Public Affairs Manager for Ireland said: “The safety of all road users is a priority for Lime everywhere we operate, which is why we are committed to working closely with Go-Ahead Ireland, and wider stakeholders to make sure everyone feels confident sharing Ireland’s roads. Lime and GAI ultimately have the same goal, which is to shift people from their cars and onto shared, more sustainable ways of traveling like cycling, e-scooters, and public transport. Lime’s services are designed to complement public transport networks, offering first and last mile solutions to users”.

Lime is committed to ensuring e-scooter and e-bike riders understand the rules of the road and riding best practice, alongside drivers. It provides safety training to e-scooter riders via its First Ride Academy in all the cities it operates services in. This in-person course provides practical training for riders, including how to inspect scooters for safety before each journey, and how to safely ride.

Despite the fact that e-scooters are currently still not legal to use on public roads in Ireland, their popularity has been increasing in recent years. The Road and Road Traffic Bill 2021, which will allow for their use, is currently making its way through the Seanad. In the interim, and in anticipation of future sharing schemes, the partnership will help to foster a better understanding between bus drivers and e-scooter users. The partnership may also lead to the provision of Lime’s shared e-bikes to GAI employees via long term loans to encourage more sustainable commuting choices.

Lime’s partnership with GAI is part of its commitment to invest €10 million in its Irish operations as it looks to launch e-bike and e-scooter sharing schemes in towns and cities across the country. Last month Lime launched a 12-month shared e-bike pilot in Castlebar, Co. Mayo, which will see up to 100 bikes available for hire in virtual parking bays across the town. Lime also hopes to launch its e-scooter sharing service in Ireland next year following the passing of legislation and regulations to make e-scooters legal on Irish roads.

Microsoft Announce Collaboration with Irish Pharmaceutical Blockchain Disruptors ServBlock

ServBlock, a Blockchain and pharmaceutical compliance company is collaborating with Microsoft’s Early Access Engineering programme to produce a novel business case for the use of NFT technology in meeting compliance standards.

Servblock translates the current human to human based quality assurance process to a digital first trust system underpinned by machine to machine interactions and blockchain technology, providing verified data that is automatically checked for compliance.

Pharmaceutical compliance entails a multitude of processes requiring manual checking of data and tasks which require detailed attention, passing numerous levels of scrutiny often multiple times. ServBlock automates this process in a much more secure, timely and cost-efficient manner than the current status-quo with the use of blockchain technology.

The use of blockchain helps create validated digital traceability systems for pharmaceutical parts by recording data in real-time throughout a supply chain. With blockchain solutions, pharmaceutical-based transactions and processes can become secure, cheaper, and quicker than usual. For new biotech facility start up projects ServBlock can save 14,400 commissioning hours resulting in an average saving of 1.5 million euros per project.

As well as cost reduction ServBlock’s technology:

  • Eliminates fraud in the pharmaceutical supply chain

  • Eliminates the risk of counterfeit or contaminated drugs entering the market

  • Greatly reduces human error in the supply chain.

Blockchain is most commonly known for its uses in the financial industry and being particularly rooted in cryptocurrency over the last decade, but its fundamental data integrity properties means it is particularly suited to regulated industries, such as pharmaceutical production and distribution.

In collaboration with Microsoft, ServBlock has developed a novel use of non-fungible token (NFT) technology. NFTs are unique cryptographic tokens that exist on a blockchain and cannot be replicated, normally bought and sold. This model presents the perfect framework to ensure transparency for all stakeholders from beginning to end.

John Ward, CEO and founder of ServBlock, said: ‘Implementing new technologies to aid in the continued improvement of compliance standards is a core pillar of what ServBlock does. To have Microsoft on board gives further validation to the work we have been doing since founding the company and blockchain as a powerful business tool. NFTs have gained recognition and popularity for their use in selling art and a new internet culture, but we are glad to be starting the adoption of real world use within an enterprise setting.’

Quality assurance data is tokenized and in this way shows an end-to-end business use case for NFT use in the pharmaceutical industry. Every business process is signed by business participants, stored then shared through a ledger which itself shows ownership of assets from their creation. Every business process is shared among business participants ensuring traceability at every stop.

Small, Medium & Corporate Lead for Microsoft Ireland, Peter Lougheed said: “NFTs are one of the most exciting concepts to emerge from blockchain technology, and have grown to be hugely significant. It’s great to see a Microsoft Founders Hub member, like ServBlock, continue to scale and expand. We, at Microsoft, are excited to collaborate with ServBlock in developing their technology to better enable the pharmaceutical industry to meet their, often very complex, compliance standards.”

This collaboration presents the first use case of NFTs within a pharmaceutical manufacturing setting and therefore uncovers great potential for the use of blockchain technology in a variety of areas which rely heavily on secure, transparent ownership of assets.

Urbanista launches the Urbanista Copenhagen earbuds

Urbanista, the Swedish lifestyle audio brand, announces the launch of Urbanista Copenhagen, their latest and most stylish true wireless earbuds, inspired by the city renowned as the capital of Scandi cool.

Priced at 69 EUR / 69 USD / 69 GBP / 699 SEK MSRP, Copenhagen boasts full compatibility with iOS and Android devices.

Effortless motion 

Designed for life in motion, Copenhagen’s minimal true wireless design gives you the freedom to listen to your favourite audio on the move without the hassle of wires. The stylish Copenhagen earbuds are powered by up to 32 hours of truly wireless playtime with a sleek charging case that holds up to 3 extra charges.

The earbuds are supported by Urbanista’s mobile companion app, available on both Google Play and Apple App Store. The app provides customisation options to personalise your listening experience such as EQ settings, touch control preferences and monitoring battery levels.

Effortless style

With their simple yet elegant aesthetic, Copenhagen subtly elevates your every look. Inspired by the city’s soft colour palette, the earbuds are priced at 69 EUR / 69 USD / 69 GBP / 699 SEK MSRP and are available in 4 stylish colourways: Midnight Black, Pure White, Sage Green and Dusty Pink, that instantly recall effortless Scandi chic.

Tuomas Lonka, Brand and Marketing Director at Urbanista comments: “The Urbanista Copenhagen earbuds are a truly beautiful product inspired by Scandinavian design. They are one of the most stylish earbuds we have launched, with elegant seasonal colours, the Urbanista Copenhagen product is as much a fashion accessory as it is a fantastic audio product.”

Effortless comfort

Urbanista Copenhagen brings the perfect balance between form and function, the earbuds sit weightlessly in the ear for comfortable all-day use. With their stable, barely-there fit, the earbuds are the perfect accessory for life in motion.

Urbanista’s Audio Engineer Axel Grell comments: “Urbanista Copenhagen are earbuds designed to compliment your everyday travels, routine and style. That goes for the sound too, using Urbanista’s sound signature, Copenhagen are a pleasure to listen to. While understated, they boast strong bass without being too overpowering and provide crisp and clear mids and highs.”

Watch the full Urbanista Copenhagen “Effortless Flow”

Urbanista Copenhagen is available now at: www.urbanista.com/copenhagen

Key features: 

●      Total playtime 32 hours

●      Noise-reducing microphones

●      Touch controls

●      Voice assistant support

●      Water resistant (IPX4)

●      USB Type-C charging

●      Bluetooth© 5.2

●      App support

Specifications:

●      Driver type: 12 mm dynamic, moving coil

●      Driver sensitivity: 115±3 dB SPL/mW @ 1kHz

●      Driver impedance: 32 Ohm ±15 %

●      Frequency response: 20 Hz to 20 kHz

●      Microphone type: MEMS

●      Microphone noise cancelling: Dual-mic ENC

●      Bluetooth© version: 5.2

●      Bluetooth© profiles: A2DP, AVRCP, HFP and HSP

●      Audio codecs: SBC and AAC

Tech Review – JBL Tune Flex

The JBL Tune Flex is the last pair so far in for review and at the budget end of the spectrum with price here is where one will ask about performance and features, as I have said many times here on site and in my videos this department has changed rather swiftly with the cost to performance ratio getting better things are now better for the consumer and the same applies again here in short for JBL with the Tune Flex.

With having the most earbuds reviewed in Ireland on site and by that I mean hands on you see them and we also do a video review rather than stock images with little context we test our earbuds check out the apps when available as some earbuds still do not have apps but in some cases do not require on we have a good feel and taste for the audio for the price be it high or low and as mentioned this applies now to earbuds in the sub 100 euro department and we have actually had some in to check out in recent times and the competition is just getting better and that means better value for the consumer.

I usually do not fob off one brand against another in my reviews as we like to stick the the product in question but there is good value to be had under the 100 euro price point these days and the days of spending up to 300 euro on earbuds is long gone for me unless you are a brand loyalist which I am not and like to see what is out there for all prices which we do… Yes we have more earbuds of course in and coming soon.. Even recently JBL announced probably the best looking phone case coming soon and it did cause a stir as to why and what features will be on offer but again we have an example of JBL Tour Pro 2 upping the game here bringing something new to the table and even after checking out the latest pairs of earbuds they have all the market covered when it comes to prices and what is on offer.

The JBL Tour Pro 2 earbuds which I seriously can’t wait to see.

 

So back to the Tune Flex. OK so we will not keep you here much longer but do watch the video for more, We have gone over their app multiple times but here is some of what is inside in case you missed it from out previous reviews and again it is good and delivers and lets you be in control rather than having a default option you have an EQ so all the bells and whistles are here in their app even at this price point.

 

Features

 JBL Pure Bass Sound

Active Noise Cancelling (2-Mic) with Smart Ambient

4 microphones for crisp, clear calls

JBL sound fit – open ear and sealing ear tips

3 sizes of sealing ear tips

Up to 8H in the earbuds + 24H in the case with ANC off

Speed charge

IPX4 splash proof certified

Hands-Free Voice Control with Google Assistant

Customisable all-access touch control through the JBL Headphones App

BUY
Video Review

TCS Launches Sustainathon Competition for University Students in Ireland to Tackle Environmental Issues with Digital Innovation

Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) has announced the launch of the 2022 UK and Ireland Sustainathon, a problem-solving competition that challenges university students to address corporate sustainability problems through innovative digital technology, creativity, and teamwork.

Registrations are now open for the 2022 Sustainathon, which invites university students to work alongside TCS and its partner network (via a virtual online portal) during a two-week sprint to devise digital solutions that can help businesses overcome their most urgent sustainability challenges.

“TCS is fully committed to addressing environmental challenges in the countries and communities we operate in, and to building a sustainable future through innovation and adoption of digital technologies,” said Andrea McBride, Head of TCS Global Delivery Centre, Letterkenny.

She added, “This is the first year that the TCS Sustainathon is available to students in Ireland. The competition has had great success in the UK and other regions over the last number of years and we are delighted to be able to offer Irish students the opportunity to be involved this year.”

TCS is engaging with universities across the UK and Ireland, including Atlantic Technological University (ATU) and North West Regional College (NWRC), Derry, to launch the competition, as part of its ongoing commitment to promote STEM skills, nurture young talent and support sustainable enterprise. TCS will work closely with its clients and supporting organisations as the challenge partners for 2022, including Phoenix Group, Lloyds Banking Group and Marks & Spencer.

Participating teams will be given a unique opportunity to join a series of interactive masterclasses, virtual mentoring sessions and online webinars with business and community leaders who will guide them through each stage of the ideation process and help to turn their concepts into a reality.

Irish academics partnering with TCS on this year’s competition, include Dr. Mark Kelly, Head of ATU Galway and Mayo Centre for Sustainability who will deliver an online ‘Sustainability Masterclass’ to all participating students from Ireland and UK and Francine Moran, Lecturer in Science and Sustainable Technologies at NWRC, participating as a guest panellist for a discussion session on ‘Sustainability and Career Paths’.

After presenting their solutions to the judges, the winning teams will be rewarded with sustainable prizes and an opportunity to showcase their ideas at the grand finale event on Tuesday 6th December. The judging panel will be comprised of representatives from UnifAI Technology, the Rail Delivery Group, a selection of not-for-profit organisations, and sustainability experts who are independent from the competition process. The members of the Grand Finale winning team will be offered one month paid internships with TCS.

Last year, the winning team ‘Biophilic’ from University College London was challenged to increase community engagement around sustainability by enhancing the digital functionality of Scotland’s National Entitlement Card (NEC) app. Biophilic was invited to present their winning concept to an audience of business leaders at TCS’ Innovation Forum in London, which resulted in the companies working with the students to develop their ideas into a real solution.

For more information and how to register, please visit:

https://www.sustainathon.tcsapps.com/events/ongoing/UKI2022

Esri maps spooktacular events around Ireland this Halloween

Esri Ireland, the market leader in Geographic Information Systems (GIS), has created a digital map of some of the most fun, spooky and frightful happenings across the country this Halloween.

Using Esri’s ArcGIS digital mapping system, the interactive map highlights both popular events and hidden gems to suit all tastes. For those who want to get into the spirit, keep the kids entertained, or have a fun fright, our island has something for everyone to make this Halloween a spooktacular night.

From terrifying train rides in Belfast and haunted hayrides in Cork, to pumpkin trails in Offaly and family-friendly fall fests in Wexford, this map will help witches and wizards of all ages and interests plan their weekend for Halloween 2022.

Link to map here